Seen Through Shadows
by Durbe the Barian
Summary: It was one of those rare days when the Detective Boys were treated for lunch. But everything changes when their host, the detective Tooru Amuro, is shot in the back while receiving a phone call and suspects are – for once – not abound. Who was it that shot Tooru? And what was the meaning behind the words left behind? - Contains spoilers from chapter 897.
1. Chapter 1

**Detective Conan**

**Seen Through Shadows**

**Angst/Crime**

**Bourbon/Conan/Subaru**

**It was one of those rare days when the Detective Boys were treated for lunch. But everything changes when their host, the detective Tooru Amuro, is shot in the back while receiving a phone call and suspects are – for once – not abound. Who was it that shot Tooru? And what was the meaning behind the words left behind? - Contains spoilers from chapter 897, so if you haven't kept up, you really shouldn't read. Unless you're okay with it, in which case, please don't blame me.**

**(I don't own Case Closed. Though I'm starting to wish I held credit for Tooru.)**

* * *

Seen Through Shadows

Part 1

* * *

"Well, that's another case closed," Kogoro said, walking back home with a grin on his face. "Just goes to prove that no evildoer is safe with Kogoro Mouri on the case!"

"That's right, Tousan!" Ran said with a smile.

The Detective Boys behind them all joined in.

All except Conan, naturally, as he was too busy thinking that all 'Uncle Kogoro' did was land in a chair and fall asleep again.

Quite honestly, there were times when Kogoro's overinflated ego got on little Conan's nerves, but he had to let it slide most of the time. Otherwise, he risked blowing his cover.

"So," went Ran suddenly, "who's up for some lunch?"

"We are," the Detective Boys said in unison.

Even Conan had to admit that he was starved. Solving a case certainly give a boy an appetite.

"Are there any restaurants nearby that'll even **take** an adult, a teenager, and five kids?" Kogoro asked with an eyebrow raised. "That's a lot of people to feed."

"There should be," Ran said, placing her hand up to her face as she thought about it.

"I'm not a kid," Conan thought bitterly.

"Yes, there is," a voice said. "The Cafe Columbo. We're heading that way now."

All eyes turned to the source.

Tooru and Azusa were making their way over to the apparently large group of people with bright smiles on their faces. "Ah, Amuro-kun," Kogoro said.

"Good afternoon, Mouri-sensei," Tooru responded, raising a hand in the air in a form of greeting.

"Amuro-san, what are you doing here?" Ran asked. "I thought you said you had a full shift at the Poirot today."

"I do," Tooru admitted. "But right now, I'm taking Azusa-san out to lunch."

With that, the faces of the Detective Boys all lit up. "So, in other words, you're taking Enomoto-san on a date?" Mitsuhiko asked.

"Hmm?" went Tooru, raising an eyebrow slightly.

"Ah," went Ran, clapping her hands together. "How sweet."

"Does your boss know about this?" Kogoro asked, a sly grin creeping onto his face.

Instantly, Azusa's face turned cherry red as she clapped her hands against her cheeks. "I'm afraid you've got it all wrong, Sensei," Tooru said. "We aren't going out or anything. I'm just treating her to lunch."

Despite his claims, the wide eyes and slightly red face were not helping his situation.

Conan wanted to try and egg him on a little bit more, but his growling stomach ruined the moment for all of them.

Adopting a more innocent expression, rather than his initially flustered look, Tooru bent forward and looked Conan in the eye. "Are you hungry, Conan-kun?" he asked.

"Well, uh," went Conan.

Tooru smiled. "In that case, why don't we all have lunch together?" he suggested. "It's a big place and the owner loves to see kids come in."

"Ah, really?" Ran asked with a bright grin.

"Would it be expensive to pay for all their meals?" Kogoro asked, slouching slightly.

"A little bit," Tooru admitted. "But you don't have to worry. I'll pick up the check."

* * *

Ten to fifteen minutes later, everybody was eating at the Cafe Columbo, with the younger detectives watching, stunned at their table manners. Genta was too busy enjoying his eel on rice to notice it, though, as were Ayumi and Mitsuhiko, both of whom were eating something else entirely. Ran was eating something small, obviously taking Tooru's bank book into account, while her father was reading over a newspaper while feasting on a thing of spaghetti.

"Are you sure you'll still be able to pick up the check today, Amuro-san?" Azusa asked, watching the spectacle from her seat beside Tooru in a frozen position. "This looks a little bit expensive."

"I think I'll be okay," Tooru said, forcing down the awkward chuckle. "Just so long as they don't ask for extras."

"We won't do that," Ayumi said. "Don't worry."

Then she went right back to eating her meal.

That, in turn, brought a smile to Tooru's face.

"Ah! Conan-kun!" Ran suddenly exclaimed. "Look at your face!"

Curious, Tooru and Azusa looked towards the young detective. Clearly, Conan was not the best when it came to handling spaghetti. His face was absolutely covered in tomato sauce, something Ran tried to clean up with a napkin.

"Oh, Conan-kun," Ran 'sighed.' "What am I going to do with you?"

"Why would you want to do anything with him?" Azusa asked. "He looks adorable."

Seconds later, Tooru fell forward at the table, trying his best to smother a fit of chuckles that attacked him all of a sudden.

"Conan-kun," he thought all the while, "he's just like me when I was that age."

* * *

"_Be careful, Rei-kun," Elena said. "You don't want to get a tummy ache."_

_Tooru looked up from his spaghetti, the area around his lips being bright red from the sauce. "Don't worry," he said. "I'll be careful."_

_Suddenly, the little brunette beside him started laughing._

_"__Huh?" went Tooru. _

_Before they could offer an answer, both Elena and her husband, Atsushi, burst into fits of giggling too._

_"__What's so funny? Come on. Tell me."_

_"__Oh, Rei-kun," Elena laughed. "Whatever are we going to do with you?"_

_"__What are you talking about? Why are you laughing so hard? Come on, guys. Tell me."_

* * *

Tooru forced his chuckles back down his throat as he attempted to compose himself again.

"Are you feeling alright, Amuro-san?" Azusa asked. "Did you eat something that didn't agree with you?"

"But he hasn't eaten anything," Conan couldn't help but think.

By that time, Tooru was able to calm down, though his eyes were slightly teared up from his endeavor to stop laughing. "I'm okay," he said, calming his co-worker down rather nicely. "Conan-kun reminded me of another little boy with tomato sauce on his face and it cracked me up."

"Really?" Azusa asked.

"Yep," Tooru said with a nod. "No need to worry. I'm okay now."

"That's good," Azusa sighed. "I thought you were choking or something."

"Well, that would be terrible. I rather like the Columbo, so it would be bad for its reputation if someone choked on their food."

Everyone froze.

Then the children looked up, bright smiles appearing on their faces.

"Subaru-niisan!"

Yep. You got it. Subaru had appeared in the Cafe Columbo, his usual expression painting his face. His squinting eyes looked over to Tooru and the young – and quite attractive woman – sitting next to him.

"What are you doing here, Subaru-san?" Conan asked, hoping against hope that the situation would not become dire with the Detective Boys around. Or, moreover, Kogoro and Ran.

"I just came here to get some lunch," Subaru said, bending forward slightly. "I like the menu here." He then looked over towards Tooru again. "Though it surprised me to see you here. Hello, Zero."

Tooru's eyes widened when his childhood nickname was mentioned.

"Zero?" Azusa repeated. "Huh?"

"Isn't that your old nickname, Amuro-kun?" Kogoro asked, peeking his head out from his newspaper.

"Yes," Tooru admitted. "Although I don't recall ever mentioning it around you before, Subaru-san."

Subaru gave a ghost of a grin before placing his hand on Conan's head. "This little boy told me," he said. "He told me that he found out that you used to be called 'Zero' as a kid because of your name. Kids really do make very funny nicknames sometimes, don't they?"

Tooru could only chuckle at the awkwardness in the restaurant. At the same time, he was also growing more frustrated with himself. Where did this guy come off with calling him by his nickname? Was he trying to pick a fight or something?

Fortunately for both detectives, neither the children nor Azusa felt the chill that Tooru was giving off, as proven by when Ayumi asked, "Do you know Subaru-niichan, Amuro-san?"

"Well," Tooru began.

"You might say that," Subaru admitted. "We've crossed paths once or twice."

Conan could practically smell what was coming.

"Is he a friend of yours then?" Mitsuhiko asked.

"I wouldn't say that," Subaru said. "Acquaintances would be a better word."

"Yeah," Tooru agreed. "A much better word."

Conan then took a quick sip from his drink. He could tell that things were growing colder by the minute, and no child could stop the sparks from flying if the conversation continued.

Fortunately, it didn't get that far.

Tooru pulled himself out of his chair and set some money down on the table. "Ah?" went Conan. "Amuro-niichan?"

"I'm not feeling so good all of a sudden," Tooru said, a forced grin appearing on his face. "So I'm going to get some fresh air. I'll meet you back at the cafe, Azusa-san."

"O-Okay," Azusa said, slight disappointment obvious in her words.

"If you're going to get some fresh air, then I'd rather that you don't run too fast," Subaru said. "Running quickly after a meal can make you sick."

"Thanks for your concern," Tooru said. "But I'll be fine." With that, he pulled away from the table, throwing his black coat over his shoulders. "Enjoy the rest of your lunch, everybody."

Then he opened the door to the restaurant and stepped outside.

"I hope he's feeling okay," Azusa said. "He's been getting sick a lot lately."

"That's true," Ayumi admitted.

"Do you think that he's actually really sickly?" Mitsuhiko asked.

"You think so?" Genta asked. "Man."

"But he doesn't look like the type who'd get sick too often," Ran observed. "He's kind of like Shinichi in that regard."

"I'm like him?" Conan thought. "No way."

* * *

Tooru walked under the cherry trees in the park, a sigh escaping him as he took deep breaths. "I suppose it was too much to think that he would simply forget my face," he thought to himself. "I did threaten him, after all. And, in the end, all I did was find out that my deduction about him being Shuichi Akai was wrong from the very start."

He then let out another sigh as he neared the steps at the park's exit. "Maybe I'm losing my touch."

Then he started down the steps just as his phone started ringing. "Hmm?" went Tooru, stopping in his walk as he pulled his phone out of his pocket.

As soon as his wallpaper appeared – a picture of him, Azusa, and Taii (Azusa suggested it when he broke his old one.) - he answered the caller and held the phone up to his ear. "Hello?" he asked. "Tooru Amuro speaking."

"_Sayonara...Rei Furuya.._"

Tooru's eyes widened in an instant, his breath caught in his throat.

* * *

Kogoro did a quick stretch the instant he left the restaurant. "That was a good lunch," he sighed.

"It sure was," Ran admitted. "What do you think, kids?"

"It was delicious!" the Detective Boys said simultaneously.

"The Cafe Columbo certainly has an excellent menu," Subaru said, dabbing his face with a napkin as he too stepped out.

"It sure does," Azusa admitted. "That's why Amuro-san recommended it for lunch."

"It's too bad Amuro-niichan left so soon," Conan said. "It would have been fun to all eat together."

"Yeah," Azusa sighed, lowering her head slightly.

"Actually, it's a good thing he left," Conan thought, turning his head away so Azusa couldn't see his face. "If Bourbon figured out that Subaru is actually Akai-san, everything would have gone crazy."

"Well, we should probably get going," Conan said. "We're going to Professor Agasa's house to play some video games."

"I'll walk you to the Professor's," Subaru offered. "I'm heading that way anyway."

"Alright then," Kogoro said.

"Be careful. Okay, all of you?" Ran asked.

"You got it, Ran-san," the Detective Boys said happily.

With that, the kids followed Subaru down the road.

A smile appeared on Ran's face while an expression of worry started to form on Azusa's.

"Azusa-san, what's wrong?" Ran asked.

"Oh, nothing," Azusa denied with a smile.

Ran wasn't entirely convinced of the truth in Azusa's words. Even more so when the latter reached into her pocket and pulled out her phone.

"I'm sure it's nothing," Azusa thought. "Right, Amuro-san?"

Then she proceeded to dial her phone, something continuing to eat away at her. She didn't know why, but she was beginning to grow concerned about Tooru. Even though she knew that she had no reason to, she couldn't help it.

She just needed to hear his voice, to let her know that he was okay and that her concerns were stupid.

Confirming that she had succeeded in dialing Tooru's phone number, she held her phone up to her ear.

"_Beep...Beep...Beep...Beep._"

Her hand began to shake, despite her telling herself to stop.

No answer.

"Amuro-san..."

* * *

(Meanwhile...with the Detective Boys...)

"What do you think the Professor will have for snacks?" Genta asked as he made his way through the park.

"We just had lunch, Genta-kun," Mitsuhiko said. "You don't have to think about food all the time."

"That's what you think, Mitsuhiko. It's all I can think of right now."

Ayumi could only laugh at her friends as per her usual.

"It's never quiet with you and your friends around," Subaru observed.

"Upset?" Conan asked.

"Hardly. It's one of my favorite pastimes."

Conan let out an exasperated chuckle.

"Hey," went Ayumi suddenly, snatching the attention of the two detectives like a lure. "Did somebody drop their phone?"

"Hmm?" went Conan, looking towards Ayumi, who was standing near the stairs. A white Iphone was resting in the palm of her hand.

A white Iphone with a spade on the back.

"Oh, the screen is cracked," Ayumi sighed.

"Then maybe it fell on it's screen first," Mitsuhiko suggested, turning towards the steps.

"Does it still work?" Genta asked.

"I don't know," Ayumi said, attempting to turn the phone on.

"That's Bourbon's phone," Conan connected.

A split second later, a loud scream from Mitsuhiko pierced the air, followed by the young boy falling on his behind.

" Mitsuhiko, what's the matter!?" Conan exclaimed, racing over to his friends.

The little children looked to the bottom of the stairs as Subaru followed Conan.

Then all eyes widened in horror.

Tooru was at the bottom of the steps, bleeding heavily from a gunshot wound to his back. He wasn't moving, though his face was heavily pained. His dark skin was covered in bruises, most likely from falling down the park steps.

"A-Amuro-san!" Ayumi shouted.

Without thinking, Conan jumped down the stairs, Subaru following close behind, turning to the children briefly to say, "Hurry up and call an ambulance. He could still be alive."

"Uh, right!" Mitsuhiko said, terrified at the thought of Tooru being dead.

Then he ripped his phone out of his pocket and hastily dialed 110.

By that time, the two bespectacled detectives had made it to the bottom of the stairs, fear obvious on even Subaru's face.

"Amuro-niichan!" Conan shouted.

"Amuro-kun!" Subaru exclaimed, placing his hand on the man's shoulder.

The young detective could offer no response. His breath was faint, almost gone, and his pulse was weak.

Subaru then looked at his hand.

It was covered in blood.

"Amuro-kun," he breathed.

Again, no response.

Worry instantly began to eat at Subaru, who said the next thing that came to mind.

"Furuya-kun!"

* * *

**D.T.B: Okay. Thus begins the start of my first multi-chapter Detective Conan. Definitely will not be a long one, maybe three or four chapters, but nevertheless, I hope you enjoy it. And give me reviews. I need the motivation. I intend to pull through to the end, but it's nice to know there're people waiting to see the next installment. I'm no Gosho Aoyama, but just give me a chance. :)**


	2. Chapter 2

**D.T.B: :D Thank you...so much for the reviews. You would not believe how happy you all made me. **

**Conan: Detective Conan belongs to Gosho Aoyama. And it doesn't take a detective to figure out that she's not Gosho Aoyama-san.**

**D.T.B: Blunt much? ←[Gee. Stupid question, self.] XD Anyway, please enjoy the second part of Seen Through Shadows. **

**Note: Due to the fact that I don't know the name of Tooru's boss, (Or if he's got a name to begin with) he shall be known as 'The Master.'**

* * *

Seen Through Shadows

Part 2

* * *

Azusa entered the Cafe Poirot with a smile on her face. "I'm back from lunch, Master," she called out.

"Mind if we step in?" Ran asked, both she and Kogoro entering anyway.

"Fine with me," the Master of the Poirot said from his position at the grill. "Come on in. Anything you want to eat or drink?"

"No, thanks," Ran said. "We just had lunch."

"A cup of coffee would be fine," Kogoro said.

"You got it," the Master said with a chuckle.

Azusa then pulled her apron over her chest and tied it around her back. "Has Amuro-san come back yet?" she asked.

"Nope. Not yet. You're the first to come back from their lunch break, Azusa-chan."

"Maybe he decided to take a long way around," Kogoro suggested, sitting down and opening his newspaper back up again.

"Maybe," the Master agreed. "He does that once in a while. Wish he'd hurry up though. Working with only the one waitress is not a good idea."

Azusa smiled a little bit, though inside she was still worrying about Tooru.

Worrying terribly.

Just then, the Cafe's phone rang, which the boss proceeded to pick up.

"Hello," he said. "Cafe Poirot. Would you like to make a reservation?"

Then he froze. All the color flushed out of his face.

"Master?" Azusa asked uneasily. "Who is it?"

The Master didn't answer right away. Instead, he said to the caller, "Yes. I see." and placed the phone back on it's cradle, his hand shaking all the while.

"Master? What's wrong?"

All eyes were on the pale owner of the Poirot. "It's Tooru-kun," he said.

Azusa could feel her blood freezing over.

"He's been shot."

* * *

"Megure!" Kogoro shouted, racing through the hospital doors with Ran and Azusa following right behind him.

The police detective turned around, Conan and Subaru doing the same.

"Ah, Mouri-kun," Megure said. "Thanks for coming."

"Is he okay?!" Azusa asked worriedly, tears falling down her face. "Is Amuro-san okay!? He's not dead, is he?!"

"We don't know yet," Megure admitted. "He's still in surgery."

"But what happened?" Azusa asked. "What happened to him?"

"He was shot and fell down the stairs at the park," Subaru said.

"But why was he shot?!" Azusa cried. "That's what confusing me! Amuro-san doesn't have any enemies! Nobody has a reason to hurt him."

"Megure," Kogoro began, "maybe you can explain what happened."

"Alright," Megure said, pulling his notebook out of his back pocket. "The victim, 29 year old Tooru Amuro, was shot on his way out of the park. According to Conan-kun and Subaru-san here, he was shot twice."

"Twice?" Ran repeated, the color rushing out of her face.

"Yeah," Megure said. "Once in the back and the other in the chest. The second shot caused him to bleed a lot before he was found, so the doctors don't know whether or not he's going to pull through."

When Azusa heard that, she burst into tears, prompting Ran to try to calm her down.

"Did they find the gun yet?" Kogoro asked.

"Not yet," Megure said. "We think the culprit took it with him. All we know about the gun is that it was a nine millimeter." He looked back down to his notebook and continued reading his notes. "Anyway, Amuro-kun was found by Subaru, Conan and Conan's little friends about 10 to 15 minutes after he was shot, according to the paramedics that arrived at the scene after the 110 call."

"Who made the call?" Ran asked.

"Mitsuhiko did," Conan answered. "Subaru-san told him to while we went to check on Amuro-niichan."

"Amuro-san," Azusa choked out, falling to her knees as the thought of losing Tooru hit her full force.

"Don't worry, Azusa-san," Ran said. "Amuro-san is really strong, right? I'm sure he'll pull through."

"I hope so," Conan thought, lowering his head.

"Do you have any suspects?" Kogoro asked. "I want to help with this case."

"Don't worry, Mouri-kun," Megure said. "You will. And, yes, we do. One of the kids was able to find his cell phone and we were able to figure out who he talked to in the past few days."

The detectives behind him looked over to Megure, surprise painting their faces.

"That's the first I've heard of that!" Conan thought.

"Well, who did he call?" Kogoro asked. "Out with it, Megure."

"You'll see in a few minutes, Mouri-kun," Megure said. "When we get back to the crime scene."

"Huh? Why are we going back to the crime scene?"

"Because we've got some questioning to do," Megure said.

"I-I'm going to stay here," Azusa said. "I don't want to leave without knowing that Amuro-san is alright."

"I'll stay with her, Tousan," Ran said.

"Alright," Kogoro said. "Call us if the doctor's come out while we're gone."

"Will do," Ran said.

At those words, Conan looked towards the OR.

"Bourbon..."

* * *

(At the crime scene.)

"What? Are you accusing me of attempted murder!?"

**Shuhachi Jinguji**

**Age: 25**

"You've got to be pulling my leg, Detective!" he snapped.

The man before them all had wavy blond hair tied back in a low ponytail and slanted eyes that were, understandably, snapping with rage.

"Nobody's accusing anybody of anything," Megure said. "We just have a few questions to ask of you."

"And what kind of questions might they be? And let me tell you, they better be good."

"According to Amuro-san's call log, he's called you several times over the past couple of days," Megure said, pulling out his notebook. "Do you happen to remember what the calls were about?"

"Yeah, I remember," Shuhachi said. "I was the one who called first, after all."

"Then why'd you call?" Kogoro asked. "Come on. Out with it."

"It's really simple," Shuhachi said. "I wanted him to stop trying to flirt with Azusa-chan!"

"Huh?" went Megure. "What are you talking about?"

"He thinks that just because he works with Azusa-chan, he can have her all to himself!" Shuhachi growled. "None of us other guys get to have a chance with her because of him."

"So he's just another one of Azusa-san's admirers," Conan connected, his expression deadpanning.

"And he responded to you?" Kogoro asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Yeah, that's right," Shuhachi said. "He told me that he wasn't trying to flirt with Azusa-chan and that I was just trying to vent my frustration for not asking her out on him."

"And how did you respond to that?" Subaru asked, poking at his glasses.

"How did I respond?"

The answer came out a bit louder than anybody had anticipated.

"I told him that if he even **touched** Azusa-chan again, I'd kill him!"

Everything froze.

"What?" Shuhachi asked.

"Tell me, Jinguji-san," Megure said. "Do you own a gun?"

"Yeah, I own a gun," Shuhachi said. "What of it?"

"That's practically a confession of guilt," Kogoro said. "The culprit is you!" He pointed to Shuhachi, who quickly grew aghast. "You wanted to thin out the competition, believing that Amuro-kun was trying to romance Azusa-san. So you followed him here and shot him."

"Now hold on!" Shuhachi shouted. "You don't honestly think I actually tried to kill that guy, do you?!"

"What exactly were you doing at around 1:25 this afternoon?" Megure asked.

"I was eating lunch with some buddies of mine," was the response.

"A likely story," Kogoro said.

"You've got to be kidding! Yeah, I own a gun, but I can't hit anything with it!"

"Sure you can," Kogoro said. "If it was at point blank range."

"You're an idiot!"

"You're also wrong, Mouri-kun," Megure said. "He wasn't shot at close range. Forensics said that the shots were fired from several yards away."

"Oh, he was?" went Kogoro.

"If that's the case, and this guy's a bad a shot as he says he is," Conan thought, "there's no way he could have shot Bourbon."

Then he looked towards the steps where Tooru had been discovered.

Subaru was looking down the stairs, his eyes locked on the blood stain on the ground.

"Subaru-san..."

* * *

"Alright," Megure said, opening up his notebook. "So you own the cafe where Amuro-san works part-time?"

"That's right," the Master said.

**Master of the Cafe Poirot**

**Age 45**

"You were in Amuro-san's call log from the last 48 hours," Megure reported.

"I should be," the Master answered. "I've been worried about him lately, so I've been trying to call him and make sure he was alright."

"What do you mean?" Megure asked.

"Tooru-kun's been acting weird lately," the Master said. "It's been freaking me out."

"He has?"

"Yeah. For the past few days, he's been acting like he's being watched. Whenever a customer comes in, he looks at them like they're about to kill him or something. I've tried to talk about it, but every time I brought it up, he just grinned and said that it wasn't any of my concern."

"That's Amuro-niichan for you," Conan said. "He always does that."

"That's why it worried me," the Master said. "He does that all the time, but this time, it seemed more like he just wanted me to butt out."

"Unsurprising, if he felt like he was being watched," Subaru said. "If anything happened, he wouldn't have wanted you to be around."

There, the Master's gaze sank. "That kid...," he grumbled.

"Last question," Megure said. "What exactly were you doing at around 1:25 this afternoon?"

"I was washing dishes at my cafe," the Master said. "Tooru-kun was taking Azusa-chan out for lunch and I had to make sure everything was in order when the customers came in."

"So there was nobody there in the restaurant to collaborate this story?"

"No," the Master admitted with a sigh. "I had the 'Closed' sign up so nobody would come in until my waiters came back."

"So you would have had perfect opportunity to commit this crime," Kogoro said.

"What?!" the Master exclaimed. "That's ludicrous! Hiring Tooru-kun was one of the best choices I ever made for my cafe. Customers started pouring in after he showed up. Why would I want to kill him?"

There, Kogoro's face fell. "Well, uh," went he.

"He doesn't have any motive, Mouri-kun," Megure sighed. "Although he also doesn't have an alibi."

"He's got a point," Conan thought.

"Ah, Master-san," Conan piped up.

"Hmm?"

"Do you own a gun?"

"W-Well, yes," the Master admitted. "A shotgun. I worry that some people might want to rob my cafe so I have one available just in case."

Conan narrowed his eyes as he took in the information.

* * *

"You brought me out here because I was in his call log? Are you serious? Then wouldn't that make Azusa-san a suspect too?"

The suspect before them was a tall man with jet black hair and dark eyes. His arms were folded across his chest, his face remaining stoic and firm.

**Takahiko Rokugo**

**Age 30**

"It would," Kogoro admitted, "but she was with me and Ran at the time of the attack, so her alibi is rock solid."

"Hey, I know you!" Conan exclaimed, pointing at the man before him. "You were the one who waited on us at lunch today."

"Huh?" went Takahiko. "Oh, that's right. Yes, I was."

"So, you're a waiter at the Cafe Columbo?" Megure asked.

"That's correct," Takahiko admitted. "I was working from 9 to 1 PM today."

"Tell me, what were you doing at 1:25 this afternoon?" Megure asked.

"I was off getting lunch."

"Do you have anybody who can collaborate this story of yours?"

"No, unfortunately."

Megure then pulled out his notebook. "So, according to Amuro-kun's call log, the two of you last spoke yesterday evening," he said. "Care to tell us what you were talking about?"

"It wasn't much," Takahiko said. "I had heard about his detective work and wanted to hire him to find something for me."

"And what was that?" Kogoro asked.

To further his claim, Takahiko reached into his pocket and pulled out his phone. "I wanted him to find this," he said.

Conan narrowed his eyes slightly.

"A phone?" Kogoro exclaimed.

"Yes," Takahiko said. "But I found it just yesterday afternoon, so I called him and canceled the job."

"Do you own a gun, Takahiko-niichan?" Conan asked.

"Hmm? No," Takahiko said, bending down to the little boy's height. "But my boss has one. Why do you ask?"

"Oh, no reason," Conan said.

Finally, Kogoro pulled Conan away from the suspect. "Conan Edogawa!" he snapped. "Would you stop interfering!?"

"Yikes! Sorry, Uncle!" Conan exclaimed, moments before being taken by Subaru.

"I'll handle him," he said. "Don't worry. He'll stay away this time."

"He'd better," Kogoro growled.

"Boy, Uncle must be really worried," Conan thought. "He didn't grab me at the start this time."

Then Subaru pulled Conan towards the steps. "So, Conan-kun," he said, setting the little boy down, "have you figured it out yet?"

"I don't know yet," Conan said.

"I see," Subaru sighed.

"But something's not right," Conan thought. "One thing's for sure, though. The culprit is one of those three. But I can't figure it out just yet." He then looked down to the stairs. "If only there was a hint or something." He started down the steps. "Something that Bourbon left behind to spill the beans about the identity of his attacker." He looked down at Tooru's bloodstain on the ground, his hands in his pockets, his eyes narrowed in seriousness. "Just one little hint. One little hint to give away his attacker."

* * *

(Meanwhile.)

Azusa was on the verge of biting her fingernails to keep her nerves at bay. Tooru had been in the operating room for she didn't know how long. Her tears had been run dry, reducing her to a choking mess.

To comfort her, Ran handed her a cup of coffee. "Don't worry, Azusa-san," she said. "I'm sure Amuro-san will be just fine."

"Arigato, Ran-san," Azusa said, looking down at the brown liquid wrapped in her fingers.

The liquid that so closely resembled Tooru's skin tone.

She could practically see his grinning face in her coffee cup, something that drove her to near tears again.

Quite possibly would have succeeded had the light over the operating room not turn off.

Instantly, the girls jerked their heads to the doors that flung open seconds later. "Amuro-san!" Azusa exclaimed, dropping her coffee cup on the floor as she raced forward. "Amuro-san!"

The man in question gave no response. He didn't appear to be dead as his bed was rolled past her. Rather, he appeared to be in a relaxing sleep. But the oxygen mask over his face as well as the paleness of his skin made Azusa's crawl. "Amuro-san," she thought worriedly. "Is he-?"

"Are you Azusa-san?"

Azusa jerked her head back to the operating room, where a doctor was stepping out, all the while pulling a medical mask off of his face. "Y-Yes," Azusa squeaked. "Is he- Is Amuro-san-?"

The doctor gave her a bright smile. "He kept saying your name until halfway through the operation," he said. "Your boyfriend's going to be just fine."

It was as if a heavy weight had been lifted from Azusa's shoulders when the news reached her ears. Her legs nearly gave out on her as tears of joy fell down her face. "That's great news!" Ran exclaimed. "Amuro-san's going to be alright!"

"C-Can I see him?" Azusa asked, hardly believing the words coming out of her mouth.

"Maybe tomorrow," the doctor said. "He needs to rest first. But I wouldn't worry too much. He's out of the woods now."

Azusa caught herself laughing happily.

"I've gotta call Tousan," Ran said, reaching for her phone.

"Mmm," went Azusa. "And I'd better call Master to let him know that Amuro-san's going to have to have a break for a while."

Then she pulled out her own phone and flicked the receiver up.

That's when she realized that she had her phone turned off. And when she turned her phone on, she found something that startled her.

"_One missed message._"

"A message?" she thought to herself.

She opened her message box as quickly as she could.

Then she paled.

The sender was 'Amuro Tooru.'

The time it was sent was exactly 1:26.

"He sent me a message...around the time he was attacked?" Azusa thought, the color in her face fading away.

In the time it took her to blink, she clicked on the message.

"What's this?" she asked herself.

"Huh?" went Ran, looking over Azusa's shoulder.

On the screen were 3 numbers.

_"__065._"

"What does that mean?" Ran asked.

"I don't know," Azusa admitted. "But I'll bet Conan-kun knows. Amuro-san's always talking about how smart he is."

* * *

"Huh?" went Conan. "You're saying that Amuro-niichan left Azusa-san a text message?"

"_Yeah_," Ran said over the phone. "_The numbers are '_065.'_ Think you can tell Tousan and Inspector Megure?_"

"Right," Conan said. "I will."

"_Thanks, Conan-kun. Azusa-san wants to stay at the hospital for a while longer, so I'm going to stay here with her. Be sure to tell Tousan, okay?_"

"OK," Conan responded with a grin. "Bye, Ran-neechan."

With that, he hung up the phone and put it back in his pocket.

"So, Amuro-kun's going to be alright," Subaru said.

"Yeah," Conan answered, his voice adopting a slightly deeper tone. "For now, at least. If the culprit finds out that he's still alive, they might go after him again."

"Then it would be in his best interest if we capture him while Amuro-kun's recovering."

"Yeah."

Then Conan ran the numbers through his head again.

"Zero...Six...Five," he thought. "Zero...Six...Five. Zero... Six... Five."

Then he froze.

"Zero!?

Instantly, he looked back at the witnesses, surprise painting his face.

"Hmm? What is it?" Subaru asked. "Have you figured out who the culprit is?"

"That's it!" Conan thought. "Why didn't I see it before?" His face hardened as he stared at the culprit. "There's no doubt about it. It could only be **that** person."

* * *

**D.T.B: Yeah. Three chapters with maybe an epilogue. (Heavy stress on 'maybe.' Depends on whether or not you guys like Tooru/Azusa.)**

**So, gather up your clues, my fellow Conan-lovers. The next chapter is guaranteed to surprise you at least a little bit. :)**


	3. Chapter 3

Seen Through Shadows

Part 3

* * *

"There's no doubt about it," Conan thought. "That's the meaning behind Bourbon's message. It could only be **that** person."

"Have you figured out who the culprit is?" Subaru asked, bending down to look at Conan. "You got that look on your face that says you have."

Conan didn't answer right away. Instead, he placed his hand on his chin and immersed himself in thought again. "I know who did it," he thought. "I know how too. But I don't have any evidence to confirm my theory. Which means," he looked towards the culprit; "I'm going to have to get him stuck in a corner." A grin formed on his face. "And I think I know how to do it."

He then looked over to Subaru, who only raised an eyebrow in curiosity.

His grin increased.

Whatever he had planned, it was a killer.

* * *

"What?!" Kogoro shouted. "Amuro-kun's out of the woods?"

"Mmm," went Conan. "Ran-neechan just called and told me he's out of surgery."

The Master of the Poirot revealed a relieved smile. "Oh, thank goodness," he said.

"Has he regained consciousness?" Megure asked.

"I don't know," Conan said. "Ran-neechan didn't tell me."

"Then let's get back to the hospital, Inspector," Kogoro said. "If he's awake, it's the perfect chance to figure out who shot him."

"Yeah, that's true," Megure admitted. "I'm sorry, but the three of you can't go yet."

He looked over to the three suspects of attempted murder.

"What?" Shuhachi whined. "Come on! He's not dead, so why can't we go home?!"

"If he's awake," Conan began, "then that means he can tell us whether or not one of you actually shot him."

All eyes were on Conan.

"You know, he's got a point," Kogoro admitted.

"Yeah, he does," Megure said.

Sighing, Kogoro looked up. "Why does this kid always have to butt in?" he thought, looking towards the steps.

Then he paused.

"Hey," he said. "Where did that guy with the glasses go?"

"He said he had to go home," Conan said. "They already finished questioning him before you all came to the hospital, so he wasn't needed here anymore."

"Is that a smart move; letting him go like that?" Kogoro exclaimed. "He could be the murderer."

"I doubt it," Megure said. "According to Conan-kun, he was with you guys during lunchtime. The only time he left was to go to the bathroom, which was only for less than five minutes. Nowhere near enough time to commit the crime and get back to the restaurant to establish an alibi."

"Oh, really?" went Kogoro, his face falling at the realization that his thoughts were off.

Conan nodded at that one.

"A rather solid alibi," Kogoro said. "I suppose we'll have to wait and see what Amuro-kun says when we get to the hospital."

"Right," Conan piped up, nodding brightly.

* * *

The doors to the hospital opened wide as detectives and suspects alike entered the lobby, two police officers following close behind. Instantly, Azusa and Ran looked to Kogoro, who's hands were stuck in his pockets as he slouched forward. They both stood up in an instant, Azusa's jaw hanging agape. "What's the matter?" Azusa asked, slightly worried at the sight.

"Conan told us that Amuro-kun is out of surgery," Kogoro said, making his way towards the girls. "Do you know his room number?"

"Yes, but why do you ask?" Azusa asked.

"We need to ask him a few questions," Megure said. "Do you know if he's regained consciousness yet?"

"No, I don't," Azusa said. "But the doctor said he couldn't receive any visitors today."

"Time is of the essence, Azusa-san," Kogoro said. "There's a chance that his attacker might come to finish the job while he's in the hospital."

At the sound of those words, Azusa lowered her head, on the verge of biting her nails again.

"Hey," Conan said, tugging on Azusa's skirt, something that grabbed her attention in an instant. "If Amuro-niichan has woken up, wouldn't he want to tell us who hurt him so the bad guy would get taken off the streets?"

There, Azusa nodded.

He would, after all. There was truth in what Conan had just said.

"Now, which room is Amuro-kun's room?" Megure asked.

Azusa hesitated briefly.

Then she sighed.

"Room 356."

"Thank you," Megure said. "Well, Mouri-kun, you coming?"

"Yeah. Let's go."

With that, everybody started for Tooru's room, save the suspects, who were left under the custody of the policemen that accompanied them.

Their eyes darted from one door to the other, going through the numbers as they made their way through the hall.

Didn't take them very long to find what they were looking for.

**Room 356**

**Amuro, Tooru**

"Here he is," Megure said, reaching for the doorknob.

Suddenly, the door was opened up and a doctor stepped out, his light brown hair brushed away from his face, his squinting eyes looking towards the detectives before him. "Hello," he said. "Do you have any business here, Inspector?"

"Yeah," Megure answered. "Has Amuro-kun regained consciousness yet? We need to ask him a few questions regarding his assailant."

The doctor simply shook his head slowly. "I'm sorry," he said. "But he hasn't shown any signs of improvement since he was taken from the OR. It's a possibility that he's going to remain unconscious for another day or so."

"I see," Megure sighed. "Thanks anyway."

"Can we at least see him?" Azusa asked out of the blue. "Please? I've been worried sick."

"I'm sorry, ma'am," the doctor said. "But he can't have any visitors until he's regained consciousness." He then quickly added, "And I wouldn't recommend questioning him until he's had some time to regain his strength. Interrogating him so soon after waking up might damage his health."

"I see," Megure said.

"Okay," Azusa said under her breath. "Thank you, anyway, Doctor."

"Don't worry, ma'am," the doctor said. "We will be sure to inform you and your boss when he's ready for visitors."

That brought a smile back to Azusa's face. "Arigato."

"Thank you, Doctor," Ran said, giving a quick bow.

The doctor then gave a quick bow and walked away, with Ran looking at his back for a moment longer, thinking all the while, "I feel like I've seen him before."

Then they all returned to the lobby.

"So, can we go home now, Inspector?" Shuhachi asked. "Have you finally figured out who shot the guy?"

"You can go home," Megure said, "but you're still suspects in this case."

"So Amuro-san hasn't woken up yet?" Takahiko asked.

"Not yet," Kogoro said.

"But don't worry," Conan said, standing on his tip toes as he threw his arms back a little bit. "As soon as Amuro-niichan wakes up, we'll be able to figure out who shot him. Right?"

"That's right," Megure said.

Conan beamed, as did Azusa and Ran.

The culprit, meanwhile, narrowed his eyes and looked towards Tooru's room.

* * *

The moon hung high over Beika that night. No clouds blocked out its silver gleam, rather, the twinkling stars added to its beauty. Only the cars driving on the roads could be heard by those heading home from a hard day's work.

Perfect.

That was the only way to describe that night.

Perfect.

For a second attempt at murder.

* * *

The halls of the hospital were empty. Both the doctors and nurses were either busy on different floors or punching out their clocks.

One hallway in particular was especially void.

The hallway that held the door to Tooru's room.

The detective within laid motionless in his bed, his faint breath appearing underneath the oxygen mask that was placed over his mouth. One arm was left outside the blanket, an IV drip hanging by his side. His head, which he had hit as he fell down the stairs, was wrapped in a light layer of bandages, unlike the dressing on his chest and back.

Contrary to how he appeared when he was wheeled out of the OR, his skin had regained some of its darker tone, and his face was covered in a thin veil of sweat. He looked as if he were suffering from a terrible nightmare.

The nightmare of his attack, which was on continuous repeat beneath the lids of his dark eyes.

* * *

Slowly, and without any form of warning, the door to his bedroom opened up and a shadowed figure slid through the cracks. The moonlight reflected off the barrel of a gun, and a grin revealed his malicious intent.

He took a few steps forward, his gun aimed at the detective's bed.

The grin on his face increased. "Finally," he breathed. "Goodbye...Rei Furuya."

He let the weight of his words sink into the room before he squeezed the trigger of his gun.

Silent shots were fired.

Once.

Twice.

He emptied his gun into the bed before the room became silent.

Then he let the gun fall to his side.

"The deed is done," he said.

"Yeah, it is."

He quickly turned to face the door, allowing himself to see a young boy standing in the now wide-open doorway.

Even in the dark, he knew who it was. The moonlight reflecting off his glasses said all.

Conan.

"So it was you," Conan said. "You were the one who tried to kill Amuro-san."

The man backed away a step.

"After I saw the message that he sent to Azusa-san, I figured it out," Conan said, reaching up towards the light switch. "He couldn't afford to let you figure out the code, so he used numbers to give away his assailant's identity." A grin appeared on his face. "Then he sent it to Azusa-san, so that way you wouldn't be able to get rid of his message by just destroying his phone. He's a very cautious man. Wouldn't you agree, Secret Police officer Takahiko Rokugo-san?"

He then flicked the lights on, forcing the man in question to cover his face.

A second later, he revealed his face to Conan.

Sure enough, the man standing before him was the waiter at the Columbo, now wearing a more casual attire and a pair of surgical gloves. A gun was resting in the palm of his right hand.

"I'm right, aren't I?" Conan asked. "You **are** a member of the secret police, just like Amuro-san?"

Brief silence followed.

Then he chuckled. "How did you figure it out?" Takahiko asked.

"It was all in Amuro-san's message," Conan said. "065. 'Zero' is his nickname from childhood, but it's also the commonly used nickname for 'the organization that doesn't exist.' Meaning that whoever attacked him was a member of the secret police force of Japan." A grin formed on his face again. "And then there's 'Six' and 'Five.' When said separately, they're pronounced as 'roku' and 'go.' That means that the person who attacked him...was you, the secret police officer Takahiko Rokugo."

Takahiko caught himself clenching the gun in his hand all the tighter.

"On the outside, you appear to be a simple waiter at the Columbo," Conan said, "but in reality, you've been working undercover, tailing Amuro-san and putting him on edge. Then today, you saw your chance when he was finally all alone. You waited about five minutes after he left before you called to your boss and told him that you were going out for lunch. Even though he had a head start, you knew where he was going to be heading. Add that to the fact that he didn't feel your presence and you placed him in the perfect position. You waited for him to reach the stairs in the park before calling him on the cell phone you stole from him a few days earlier. When he stopped to answer his phone, you shot him in the back. You had expected him to simply fall down the stairs, but instead, he managed to turn around and see your face. That's why you shot him again, this time in the chest. Because you needed to make sure that he died so nobody would be able to figure out that you were the one who did it. But after he fell down the stairs, you ran off, certain that the two shots you gave him were enough to kill him."

Takahiko revealed a slight grin. "That's right," he said. "And to think, you were able to figure me out based off of that man's dying message."

"It wasn't just that," Conan said. "The message is simply what pieced it together."

"Oh?"

Conan's eyes narrowed. "You slipped up," he said. "When you were brought in for questioning, you said, '_You brought me out here because I was in his call log? Wouldn't that make Azusa-san a suspect too?'_ There's no way a simple waiter would have known who was in his call log. But you stole his old phone a couple days earlier and replaced it with a broken one, so you knew who he called when you went through his call log."

"And how did you know that I replaced it with a broken one?" Takahiko asked. "The phone he was using is identical to the one that I stole from him."

"Azusa-san told me," Conan said. "She said that Amuro-san couldn't communicate with her over the phone because he broke his old one somehow. So she bought him a new one later on the day you switched it out." He held up the phone found at the crime scene. "This one. That left you with a phone that could be used and not traced back to you. What also helped me figure out that you had replaced it was your other slip up."

"And what was that?" Takahiko asked.

"You said you called Amuro-san so he could find your phone. Then you called him yesterday evening to say that wasn't the case. But how were you able to call him on your own phone if you lost it?"

"Hmph," went Takahiko. "I can't believe that a little slip like that would blow my cover." He then turned towards the bed. "Regardless, there's nothing your little deduction can do, child. The deed is done. That rat is dead now."

"Are you so certain?"

Takahiko froze.

The doctor from that afternoon then appeared from the hallway, pulling off his mask and messing up his hair.

Then he placed his glasses back on his face and revealed a grin.

Subaru Okiya.

"What?" went Takahiko, jerking his head towards the bed.

It was painted deep red, most of it splatter from the gunshots, but pulling the blanket away from the lump underneath, he found the red to be from bags of cherry pudding that were popped open when he shot them. His hand began to tremble violently when everything hit him like a ton of bricks. "What is...this?" he asked, his voice breaking from shock.

"When Conan-kun figured you out, he realized that he needed a plan to ensnare you," Subaru said.

"So I asked Subaru-san to come back here and disguise himself as a doctor to keep people out of this room until nightfall," Conan said. "Amuro-san was then moved to a different room, while we fixed this one up for you." A solemn expression appeared on his face. "I don't know why you chose to try and kill him," he continued, "but you can't go after him anymore. Amuro-san is safe from you."

Takahiko kept his eyes on the bed for another few minutes before finally letting the gun fall from his hand as he himself fell to his knees. "That rat," he said. "Fate always did seem to favor him."

* * *

(A few days later.)

"So you're saying that Rokugo-san thought you were someone named Rei Furuya?" Megure asked, in partial disbelief.

Tooru gave a quick nod from his pillow, that slight grin returning to his face. "Yes," he said. "I suppose it was just a case of mistaken identity."

"A really crazy case of mistaken identity," Kogoro said. "'Tooru Amuro' doesn't sound anything like 'Rei Furuya.'"

Tooru let out a chuckle. "That's true," he said. "Maybe I just look like him."

"Maybe," Kogoro sighed. "Well, it's all in the past now. The guy's in jail and you're on your way to recovery."

Tooru's grin increased.

There went Mouri-sensei again.

Sighing, Megure closed his notebook. "Alright, that's all we need," he said. "You just get some rest now, alright, Amuro-kun?"

Tooru nodded. "Alright, Inspector," he said.

Then Kogoro placed his hand on Tooru's shoulder. "Ran and I will come visit you later," he said.

"Thank you, Mouri-sensei."

With that, the two detectives left the room, the door closing softly behind them.

The silence became welcoming as Tooru sank into his pillow and looked out his window. Breathing had become less of a chore, though it was still discomforting if he breathed too quickly. Exhaustion had no longer become an issue, his strength returning to him bits at a time.

A sigh escaped him as he tried to enter slumber. Megure was right. He needed to get some rest. If only it would come to him.

A sudden knocking at his hospital door shook him to alertness and he looked to the source. "Come in," he said.

The door opened up and a hooded man came in, a baseball cap shadowing his eyes. Initially, Tooru's blood froze, fearing it to be another attack of some kind. Or worse, a member of the Black Organization. He had that ever familiar, ever suffocating, aura around him.

Then the man pulled off the baseball cap to only worsen his problems.

It was Shuichi Akai.

"Hey, Rei-kun," he said.

Tooru began to grit his teeth. "Shuichi Akai," he growled. "What are you doing here?"

"I came to see you," Shuichi said. "Well, that and I wanted to give this to you."

He held Tooru's old phone out to him. "Your call log and address book weren't touched," he said. "The guy was pretty sloppy."

"I see," Tooru said, gingerly reaching out and accepting the device. Then he clicked the 'on' button and watched it spring to life.

Then his eyes widened in horror.

However, Shuichi, who was looking out the window, failed to notice it. "It's funny," he said. "We managed to nail this guy for attempted murder, but even little Conan-kun wasn't able to figure out his motive."

"I have," Tooru sighed, holding the phone back out to Shuichi. "Revenge."

Shuichi let out a 'huh' as he took hold of the phone and looked at it's screen image.

It was a picture of two men standing side by side, making the peace sign to the camera.

One of them was easy to guess. It was Takahiko, only several years younger. The other one, on the other hand.

"Who's this guy?" Shuichi asked, looking at the other stranger with jet black, slightly messed up hair, mature eyes, and a rather goofy grin.

Tooru sighed and looked out the window. His gaze sharpened, as if he was in pain remembering what had transpired with that man.

"Takahiko's brother," he said under his breath.

That caught Shuichi's attention rather quickly.

"What?"

Tooru then held his right hand up before his face.

His gun hand.

It began to tremble as the memory returned. Then he let it fall to his lap. "Never mind," he said. "Just go. I have no further reason to speak with the FBI."

Shuichi would have chuckled at that one if he didn't notice the pain in Tooru's eyes. But he did, so instead of pushing him further, he turned the phone off and set it aside. "Fine then," he said. "See you when you get out...," he started for the door and paused; "Rei-kun."

Then he threw on his baseball cap, flicked up his hood, and left the room, all the while muttering under his breath, "How you can work with these caps, I'll never know."

Tooru nearly chuckled at that one. He was just barely able to hear it, after all.

Once the room was quiet again, he looked towards the blue sky.

"The sky was blue on that day as well," he thought to himself, the memory returning.

The memory of him failing to save a fellow secret police officer.

A police officer he himself had shot.

Takahiko's brother's blood was on his hands.

In more ways than one.

* * *

_The firing of a gun was still ringing in twenty-one year old Rei Furuya's ears. His arm burned with searing pain, despite the fact that he'd already given it rather crude first aid screams of the people in the bank were drowning out the sounds of his heavy breathing. His body was burning with fever, his vision blurring slightly as a result. It was either his slight fever or the tears that threatened to pour down his face._

_His face was as pale as a sheet, sweat pouring down his febrile head. His blood-covered hands were forcing themselves to stop shaking as he applied pressure to a gunshot wound in a man's chest. _

_"__Don't die,__" he thought. "__Don't die. I refuse to have this on my conscience.__"_

_"__Hey, Rookie," the man said, a wet cough escaping him at the last syllable._

_"__Don't talk, Shuhei-san," Rei said firmly. "Just stay with us until the ambulance gets here."_

_Shuhei gave a ghost of a smile. "You're a good kid," he said. "Hang onto that."_

_"__Huh?" Rei's eyes darted to Shuhei's face. _

_A face that seemed strangely peaceful, considering the wounds he was suffering from._

_"__Furuya, do something!" Takahiko shouted. "Shuhei's dying!"_

_"__Give him some space, man," he could hear Date say. "He can't work without a little space."_

_Rei remained silent for a moment. He knew what that peaceful expression meant. He'd seen it once before. Slowly, he pulled his hands away from Shuhei's chest and closed his eyelids. "I don't need space," he said. "It's too late."_

_"__What do you mean, Furuya?" Takahiko asked. "What do you mean it's too late?"_

_Rei attempted to force himself to his feet, only to fall back as he stood straight. Fortunately, Date was there to catch him in a nick of time. "Hey, don't get up too fast," he said. "It just makes you dizzy."_

_Takahiko slowly walked over to his brother's body, his hands trembling at the realization. "No," he breathed. "No, it's a lie. You're lying, Furuya! You're lying!"_

_Rei offered no words in response to that. He merely let his head hand low as Date walked him to the nearest chair so he could sit down._

* * *

**Knock Knock**

Suddenly, Tooru's eyes shot open and he looked to the door to his room. "C-Come in," he said.

The door opened up and four little heads poked inside.

Conan, Ayumi, Mitsuhiko, and Genta.

Professor Agasa was standing right behind them.

"Are you awake, Amuro-san?" Mistuhiko asked.

"Yes," Tooru said. "You may come in, if you want. It might be more comfortable than staying in the hall."

"Yay!" the kids exclaimed, jumping into the room.

"We brought you some flowers," Ayumi said, placing a bouquet on Tooru's side table.

"Thank you," Tooru said with a smile.

"Are you feeling any better, Amuro-niichan?" Conan asked.

"Yes, I am. Thanks for asking, Conan-kun."

"That's good to hear," Agasa said. "The children were all worried about you."

"I'm sorry," Tooru said. "How about this? As soon as I get out of here, how about I treat you to some ice cream?"

The faces of the kids all brightened up, just as Tooru had expected. "Really?" Ayumi asked, clasping her hands together.

"Yep," Tooru said with a nod.

The kids then let out a cheer.

All except Conan, who looked over to Tooru.

Tooru responded to the bespectacled boy with a wink.

Well, at least he finally had something to look forward to when he got out of the hospital.

* * *

Meanwhile, at Kudo's house, Subaru looked through an old article on the computer.

And by old, I most certainly mean 'old.' Not a week old or even a month. The article before him was almost 8 years old.

The headline alone was rather depressing.

**Bank Robbery at Teito Bank. Robbers Subdued. Police Officer Killed.**

Reading further, he found that the name of the police officer was Shuhei Rokugo, Takahiko's brother. According to police, his death was ruled as an accident, something only Takahiko argued about, choosing instead to blame the person who attempted to keep his brother alive until the ambulance arrived. Unfortunately, there was little evidence to support his claim, so he was ignored and the case was closed.

Sighing, Subaru took a sip of his drink of bourbon. "So that's what he meant by 'revenge,'" he said. "No wonder."

He took another sip from his bourbon. Then he deleted the article from his computer and left the room, taking his drink with him.

The shadows of Tooru's past would haunt him no longer.

They would make sure of that.

* * *

**D.T.B: Let's give a Midsummer a big hand for figuring out the culprit! [claps hands] Did I surprise any of you with that one? Or did I bore you? (Please tell me I didn't bore you!) **

**Also, thanks to a Midsummer, we shall be having an epilogue. Be ready for some Tooru/Azusa romance, people. :D**


	4. Epilogue

**D.T.B: Thanks, everybody, for letting me know about my little mess up. I think it's all fixed up now. :) Now that that's out of the way, let's enjoy the epilogue.**

* * *

Seen Through Shadows

Epilogue

* * *

_"__Hello? Tooru Amuro speaking."_

_"__**Goodbye...Rei Furuya.**__"_

_Tooru's eyes widened at the sound of his name._

_Then he heard something crack from behind him, followed by an exploding pain in his back. He very nearly doubled over, but his surprise kept his form erect. His knuckles turned white as he increased his hold on his cell phone._

_Slowly and painfully, he turned around, beads of sweat beginning to pour down his brow._

_There, he saw him. Takahiko Rokugo, a phone up against his ear, a gun wrapped in his fingers. _

_Hastily, Tooru hung up his phone and opened up his text messages._

_Only a few seconds. That was all he needed._

_0..._

_"__Come on,__" he thought. "__Come on.__"_

_6..._

_Takahiko's eyes widened. He knew what Tooru was doing._

_"__Just...a little more...__"_

_5..._

_A satisfied smile appeared on Tooru's face. "__Please...Azusa-san...make sure Conan-kun gets this message.__"_

_Then he slowly untangled his fingers from his phone, his thumb hitting the 'Send' button as he did so._

_A second gunshot rang in his ears as everything went black._

* * *

"Amuro-san? Amuro-san? Amuro-san!"

Tooru woke up with a start, his head jolting upwards as he forced himself to sit up. A groan escaped him immediately after, his hand reaching for his back.

"Amuro-san, are you okay?"

Curious, Tooru turned to face the source of the voice.

Azusa was looking at him with a rather concerned expression.

"Azusa-san," he breathed. Then he nodded, a smile forming on his face. "Yes. I'm okay. Just had a nightmare, is all."

Azusa wasn't entirely convinced. "I still think you should head home," she said. "You're way too tired and you just got out of the hospital."

Tooru simply shook his head and got off his chair near the counter, his fingers wrapping around his tray. "I'm fine," he said. "Don't worry. After staying in a hospital bed for two weeks, I need to do something."

"But you're tired," Azusa said softly.

"I'm with Azusa-chan," the Master said from his grill. "You don't usually take naps during your break, Tooru-kun."

Tooru simply had to chuckle at their protectiveness. "Don't worry," he said. "I won't fall asleep during my shift."

Azusa simply let out a sigh. Honestly, there was no getting through to him when he set his mind on something.

Then the doors to the cafe opened, revealing Kogoro, Ran, Conan, and the Detective Boys.

"Oh, hello," Tooru said, turning to face them all with a smile. "Welcome to the Poirot."

The Detective Boys simply looked at him with their mouths agape.

"Whatever is the matter?" Tooru asked, refusing to bend down to their level.

"We planned on visiting you in the hospital after this," Kogoro said. "When did you get out?"

"Just yesterday afternoon," Tooru said. "But I was pretty sleepy and slept most of the day. So I just got back to work today."

"Was that enough time?" Ran asked. "You still look pretty tired."

"That's what we've been telling him," Azusa said, poking her head out from behind Tooru.

"I'm fine," Tooru said, half whining.

"I doubt it," Conan thought.

"So, would you like to find a table?" Tooru asked. "I'll take your order."

"Well, okay," Kogoro sighed, setting himself down in the first available chair.

Everybody else followed shortly after.

"Are you still going to treat us to some ice cream today, Amuro-san?" Ayumi asked.

"Hmm?" went Tooru.

"You promised," Mitsuhiko said.

Tooru let out a light chuckle. "That I did," he said. "Don't worry. I will."

"Yay!" the Detective Boys exclaimed, raising their forks in the air.

"Is that all you kids can think about?" Conan thought, deadpanning at the sight.

Tooru chuckled again. "So," he began, "what would you like to eat?"

"I'll just go with a cup of coffee," Kogoro said.

"We're just waiting for you to get off your shift," Ayumi said, followed by the nodding of her fellow club members.

"We're keeping an eye on him," Ran said, pointing to her father.

Conan nodded.

Tooru chuckled. "Okay then, Mouri-Sensei," he said. "I'll get right on that."

With that, he turned around, making his way to the counter.

Unfortunately, he failed to notice that Azusa's foot was in his path, causing him to trip up slightly.

Slightly, but that was all his still-weak body needed.

He fell forward, his eyes widening as the memory of his falling down the park steps flashed before him.

"Amuro-san!" Azusa exclaimed, catching him before he hit the ground.

Tooru blinked.

Azusa's hands were pushing against his shoulders, keeping him on his feet. Her face was slightly pale and her eyes were wide, most likely from the surprise she just went through.

"A-Azusa-san," Tooru said.

Azusa quickly shook her head. "Please, sit down," she said. "You're still tired."

"You really should sit down, Amuro-niichan," Conan said. "She's right. You're tired."

What else could Tooru do after that than what he had been told? They were beginning to worry a little too much.

* * *

After his 'shift' had finally ended, Tooru left the Poirot with the Detective Boys, his hands in his pockets, a scarf around his neck. "Why are you wearing a scarf, Amuro-san?" Ayumi asked. "Are you cold?"

"Hmm?" went Tooru. "Yes. A little bit."

"Think you should have stayed in the hospital then?" Mitsuhiko asked. "Or even at your house?"

"Maybe," Tooru admitted. "But I didn't feel like it."

"Of course he wouldn't," Conan thought. "Seeing as how he was stuck in a bed for two weeks."

"Anyway, on to more important matters," Tooru said, dropping the subject altogether. "Are you all ready for the ice cream that I promised?"

"Yeah!" the Detective Boys cheered, throwing their hands into the air.

"So am I."

Everybody froze up a bit.

Then they looked back.

Azusa was standing behind them, wearing her coat and holding her purse. A smile was on her face, something that either warmed Tooru up or sent a chill up his spine. He wasn't so sure. Maybe it was his exhaustion, but he was beginning to find it a little difficult to read her.

"A-Azusa-san," he began. "What are you doing out here? I thought you still had another shift at the Poirot."

"Master gave me rest of the day off," Azusa said with a chuckle. "So, if you don't mind, I'd like to join you." She then raised her hand. "Don't worry. I'll buy my own ice cream."

"That's great!" Ayumi said, throwing her hands into the air. "Another adult's going to join us!"

"We'd love to have you join us, Enomoto-san," Mitsuhiko said.

"Yeah," Conan added. "Right, Amuro-niichan?"

"Y-Yeah," Tooru sighed.

Then he smiled at Azusa, who smiled in response.

Good. She finally had a chance to keep an eye on Tooru.

* * *

Azusa let out a soft chuckle as the Detective Boys feasted on Tooru's apology for worrying them so.

Never did they know, mind you, that apologies could taste so delicious.

Ayumi was eating her strawberry-flavored ice cream like a nice young lady, being extra careful to not spill any on her skirt. Mitsuhiko was eating mint-flavored, being a little less careful, but more so than Genta, who was eating cookie dough-flavored without any sense of self-restraint. Conan, however, was merely looking on as he held his vanilla ice cream cone. "These guys," he thought.

"You're all just so cute sometimes," Azusa said. "Don't you think so, Amuro-san?"

She turned to face her 'chaperone,' then paused.

Tooru was sound asleep, his head resting against the heel of his hand, which was propped up against the table. He didn't appear to be in a good sleep, but it was better than the nap he'd taken earlier that day.

Sighing, Azusa gingerly placed her hand on Tooru's shoulder, only to receive no response. He was that deep in his slumber.

"Azusa-san?"

Azusa turned to Conan. Then she smiled. "Let's let him sleep," she said. "He needs it."

The Detective Boys all nodded.

Then Azusa looked back at Tooru, her hand digging through her purse for her phone. This action was not lost on Conan, who was the first to pipe up when he noticed that she was checking her messages. "Are you looking at the clue he sent you?" he asked.

"Hmm?" went Azusa, looking over to Conan. "Well, yes."

"Why are you doing that?" Genta asked.

"Well, when the police told me that he sent it to me as a clue, I was wondering if there was a reason he sent it to me. But now I'm starting to think that it was just because he picked a random name."

"Maybe," Mitsuhiko said, lowering his head slightly.

"Or maybe he sent it to you because he likes you," Ayumi said dreamily.

That brought a blush to Azusa's face. "I-I doubt that," she stammered.

"I actually wouldn't be so sure, Azusa-san," Conan said. "I'm pretty sure that he sent it to you because he trusted you to take care of it."

"You think so?" Azusa asked. "Why would you say that?"

"I don't really know," Conan admitted, looking towards Tooru. "Maybe it's because the doctors said that he kept saying your name while he was in surgery. He wouldn't have done that for just anyone."

"How did you know about that?" Azusa asked, the blush spreading across her face.

"Ran-neechan told me a few days ago," Conan said. ←[He's telling the truth.] Then he mentally added, "When she heard that he was going to be getting out of the hospital soon, she blurted it all out."

Azusa then looked back to Tooru. She had to admit, his sleeping face was cute.

"If he's not going to be waking up soon," Genta said suddenly, "is it okay if I can eat his ice cream?"

* * *

Tooru let out a light yawn as he stepped out of the ice cream stand with the Detective Boys and Azusa. "I'm sorry that I fell asleep," he said. "I didn't realize I was that tired."

"It's okay," Azusa said. "That's why I asked to come, after all."

"Yeah," Conan thought. "If she wasn't there, these kids might have taken a picture to blackmail him with or something."

"So you're feeling better now, Amuro-san?" Ayumi asked.

Tooru nodded, bending over a little bit with his hands on his knees. "Yes, actually," he admitted. "Just a little bit."

Azusa smiled at that. "That's good to hear," she thought.

"Well, we better get going," Mitsuhiko said. "We promised to meet Professor Agasa today. Bye, Amuro-san, Enomoto-san."

"Bye, bye," Azusa said.

"See you later, kids," Tooru said.

Then Conan jumped forward a little bit and tugged on Tooru's jacket. "Hmm?" went Tooru. "What is it?"

A smile appeared on Conan's face. "Azusa-san was really worried about you, you know," he said.

"Huh?"

No answer came from Conan, who instead simply turned around and followed his friends.

"Now what was that all about?" Tooru asked, rubbing the back of his head.

Even Azusa had to tilt her head in confusion.  
"Well, that aside," Tooru sighed, "Azusa-san, would you like me to walk you home?"

"Hmm?!" went Azusa, her face going cherry red again.

"I'd feel more comfortable knowing that you get home safely," Tooru said. "So I'll walk you home."

"But your apartment is really far away from my house," Azusa said.

"It's okay," Tooru said. "I need the exercise anyway."

She could no longer offer any sort of fight against his offer. Besides, she wanted him to walk her home anyway. She'd have a mighty hard time admitting it, but she felt much safer around him than she did away from him. So instead of fighting, she nodded her head, gave a smile, and said, "Okay."

That brought a smile to Tooru's face. Then something wet hit his nose, prompting him to look up. "We'd better get moving," he said. "It's starting to rain."

"Uh, okay!"

Then they started down the sidewalk, ignoring the cold droplets that touched their shoulders.

* * *

The rain had begun to pick up by the time they neared Azusa's house. Both Tooru and Azusa started to get soaked, though Tooru had chosen to at least try to ignore it. Unfortunately, he wasn't doing too good a job. "We're almost there," Tooru said.

"Yep," Azusa replied with a nod.

Then they turned a corner, smiles appearing on their faces when they noticed her house's roof.

However, they failed to notice a rather large puddle near them until a car accidentally splashed them with it. "Kyaa!" Azusa exclaimed.

"I don't think he noticed that," Tooru coughed, flicking his wrists to get the muddy water off.

"I certainly **hope** he didn't," Azusa said. She knew it sounded rude, but she couldn't help it, nor would she take it back.

Suddenly, she felt something heavy drape over her shoulders. Looking up, she found that Tooru had placed his jacket on her shoulders, a light smile on his face. "It'd be bad for you if you caught a cold out here," he said. "Come on. Let's get you inside so you can change."

"Uh, okay," Azusa said with a nod.

Then the two made their way to the doorstep of her home.

Then Azusa dug into her pockets and pulled out her keys, unlocking the door shortly after. "Would you like to come in, Amuro-san?" she asked. "It'd be bad for you if you caught a cold so soon after leaving the hospital."

Tooru wanted to object, but his clothes sticking against his gunshot scars didn't help that desire. Nor did looking up to check the weather, for that matter. In fact, it only made it harder to object.

"Well, alright," he said. "But only until the weather clears up. I don't want to fall asleep at your home."

"Okay," Azusa said with a smile.

* * *

Tooru kept his gaze on the rain outside. His hands were in his pockets, his shoulder against the glass. "This rain's gonna be staying for a while," he thought to himself.

"Ah... My brother's clothes really do work on you. I was worried."

Tooru turned to the living room. Azusa had stepped into the room, changed into a slim-fitting, light brown shirt and plaid skirt. Her wet hair was neatly brushed away from her face, allowing the detective to see her rosy cheeks and gentle smile.

Then he looked down to the outfit she'd lent him. The clothing was a little on the tight side, but he could offer no complaints. After all, she was gracious enough to lend them to him while his clothes were in the washing machine. It was a much better option than her brother's old bathrobe. "Yes, they work," he said. "Thank you very much, Azusa-san."

Azusa beamed. Then she made her way to the window and looked outside. "So, what do you think about the rain?"

"Eh, according to the weatherman, it's going to be this way for another couple of hours," Tooru sighed.

"So it'll be over by the time your clothes are all dried," Azusa concluded.

"Yep," Tooru said with a smile.

Azusa beamed again, her hands clasped behind her back. "In that case, would you like to stay for dinner? I'll make something nice and warm for us."

Tooru smiled. "Sure," he said. Then he mentally added, "It's been a while since I've had your cooking."

* * *

"Are you sure you want to help make the dinner, Amuro-san?" Azusa asked. "You are my guest, after all, and it's only a simple omelet."

"I'm sure," Tooru said with a smile. "I've never been one to just lay down on a couch while my hostess slaves over a hot stove."

Then he looked back to his work – which was cutting the vegetables necessary for their meal – while Azusa kept her eyes on his tanned face. She was so caught up, she failed to notice the strange scent that was beginning to fill the kitchen.

"Huh? Azusa-san!" Tooru exclaimed. "The butter!"

"Ah!?" went Azusa, snapping out of it and pulling the pan away from the stovetop in an effort to save the butter. "Oh, dear!"

"It's okay," Tooru said. "The butter is still usable."

"Thank goodness," Azusa sighed. Then she turned the heat down a little bit and allowed the butter to spread across the pan's surface.

When she was certain it was ready, she cracked the eggs into the pan, a smile on her face.

Then she watched.

Looking back to Tooru briefly, she gulped and asked her question. "Hey, Amuro-san?" she squeaked.

"Yes?" Tooru responded, stopping his cutting to look at her.

"Well, there's something I've been meaning to ask you. It's...about the clue you sent me."

Tooru's eyes grew curious, his lips slightly pursed. Did he write something strange in the message – other than the name of his attacker – that she felt she had to ask him about? He couldn't recall.

"What about it?" he asked.

"W-Well," Azusa began. "Why did... That is...," she looked over to his face, "why did you sent it to-"

"Azusa-san!" Tooru interrupted. "The eggs."

"Huh!?"

Instantly, Azusa looked back to the eggs, which were on the verge of burning. "KYAAAAA!"

* * *

Unfortunately, due to her unintentional neglect to her cooking in the kitchen, the omelet was a flop. Fortunately, Tooru was able to pitch in and save the dinner and make something warm for the both of them. "I'm sorry," Azusa sighed, gloom hanging around her like a ghost. "You're my guest and yet I made you cook."

"It's okay," Tooru said with a smile, futilely attempting to fight off the weight that was falling on top of him. "It was an accident. It happens to all of us."

"Oh, really?" Azusa asked, the gloom beginning to rise. "Are you speaking from experience?"

Tooru paused. "Well," he began, "I actually don't work in the kitchen too often, so I can't really say."

The gloom added on again, something he noticed right away. "But I did know somebody a long time ago who couldn't cook worth a darn. She'd burn everything."

The air became breathable again, relieving Tooru beyond compare. "Akemi-chan, this is the one time I must truly thank you for being a lousy cook," he thought, taking a bite out of his meal.

"You know, it's going to get cold if you don't eat, Azusa-san," he said aloud.

"Oh, right," Azusa said, grabbing her fork and taking a bite out of Tooru's cooking.

Then her face brightened up. "Amuro-san, where did you learn to cook?" she asked. "This is amazing."

"I took a few lessons from a couple of different people," Tooru said. "They were strict, but they were excellent teachers."

"Well, it's delicious," Azusa said, taking another bite. "Their teaching was not in vain."

Tooru smiled. "I like to think that," he said. Then he paused in his meal. "Oh, that's right. What were you trying to ask me earlier? About the message I sent to your phone?"

Azusa froze. Then she hung her head, all words escaping from her lips. "Well," she began, "I was wondering. Why...Why did you send that message to me?"

"Hmm?"

Azusa began to fiddle with her dress. "When I first heard that it was a clue to your attacker, I thought that you sent it to me for a reason," she said. "But later, I began to think that maybe you just picked a random person and hoped that they'd know what to do with it."

Tooru's face grew solemn. "Well, if you must know," he said.

Azusa's face brightened up a bit.

Then Tooru's fingers touched his chin. "It wasn't a random decision. I trusted that you would know what to do with it, so I sent it to you."

Azusa's face adopted a light shade of pink.

"Hmm?" went Tooru. "Azusa-san, are you feeling alright? You've been turning red a lot lately."

Instantly, Azusa's hands went to her face. "I'm okay," she said. "Just thinking."

"About?"

"W-Well, nothing really."

Tooru chose to leave it at that. Not long after, the sound of the dryer 'dinging' could be heard all the way from the dining room. "Oh, the laundry's done," Azusa said. "Your clothes are ready."

"Thank you," Tooru said. "In that case, I'll get changed back after we finish the dishes."

"You want to help there too?" Azusa asked curiously.

Tooru smiled. "I wouldn't be much of a gentleman if I left you to clean up after me," he said. "Besides, it's my pleasure."

That brought a smile to Azusa's face as well. Then she nodded, her shoulders raising as her happiness increased.

* * *

The dishes were quickly done and put away, leaving the kitchen rather silent. Not long after, Tooru was back in his morning clothes, ready to put his jacket on and head home. "Thank you for having me, Azusa-san," Tooru said as he entered the living room. "I greatly appreciate it."

He then stopped in his tracks.

Azusa was sound asleep on her couch, Taii looking up at her with his adorable, feline gaze.  
It wasn't long before Tooru was gazing at her himself. "She's really tired, isn't she, Taii?" he asked.

The cat looked at him, meowed, and looked back to his mistress.

Then Tooru walked over to Azusa, placing his hand on Azusa's shoulder.

"_Azusa-san was really worried about you, you know._"

A smile formed on Tooru's face. "You wonder how much sleep you've gotten since I got into the hospital," he said. "I'll bet you didn't sleep much, did you, Azusa-san?"

Taii meowed. No. Azusa didn't get much sleep. In fact, she was usually sitting at her table, a phone before her. The last thing she wanted was to be woken up from a good sleep to find out that something terrible had happened to Tooru. She much preferred to be up if such a call came from the hospital.

Sighing softly, Tooru brushed Azusa's bangs away from her face and bent forward.

Then he gently kissed her forehead, believing kissing her on the lips while she was sleeping to be just plain rude if not thievery.

"Thank you for everything, Azusa-san," Tooru said, gently pulling himself away. "And...I'm sorry for worrying you so badly."

Taii let out a meow again. Then Tooru looked to him. "Don't tell her what I did, okay?" he said.

Another meow.

"Good."

Then Tooru left, his jacket placed on Azusa's shoulders yet again.

"I'll see you tomorrow...Azusa-chan."

* * *

The following morning, Tooru entered the Poirot to start his shift. He was still a little bit sleepy, but not as much as he was the previous afternoon. "Well, good morning, Tooru-kun," the Master said. "Ready for your day?"

"Yes, I am, Master," Tooru said, tying his apron behind his back.

"Good morning, Amuro-san!"

To say Tooru was surprised to see the Detective Boys sitting at one of the tables would be an understatement. He was at a total loss for words for about five seconds before he shook his head and said, "Wh-What are you all doing here?"

"Master-san let us stay in while he waited to open the cafe," Ayumi said, pointing to the man in question.

"Don't you have school today?" Tooru asked.

"Nope," Conan said. "It's Saturday."

Tooru had to let a sigh. He'd completely forgotten about that.

Then the doors opened behind him, prompting Tooru to look so he could greet a customer. ←[Habits never die.] "Welcome to the-"

He froze.

It was Azusa.

"Oh. Good morning, Azusa-san."

Azusa smiled. "Good morning, Amuro-san," she said, a boy's coat in her arms. "You left this at my house."

Tooru chuckled awkwardly. "Well, I guess I wasn't really thinking," he said.

Azusa's smile increased as she walked up to her co-worker.

"A-Azusa-san?"

"Amuro-san," Azusa began, standing up on her tip toes, "thank you for everything yesterday. I really appreciate it."

Then she closed her eyes and kissed his cheek.

Instantly, Tooru's face adopted a light shade of red as he backed away from her slightly. "A-Azusa-san."

Chuckles followed.

Then Azusa looked to the tables, her own face growing bright red. All the Detective Boys were staring up at them, having pulled themselves out of their chairs to get a better look.

Oh, no. She didn't realize the children were there, let alone her boss.

"Well, well," the Master said, leaning against the counter. "It's about time."

"Are the two of you going to get married?" Ayumi asked.

"I didn't see this coming," Mitsuhiko said.

"No way," Genta said. "You guys just kissed."

"W-Would you all stop it?" Tooru asked, his face bright red.

Even Azusa, the one who gave the kiss, looked at both her boss and her customers with a desire for the teasing to cease.

It didn't.

"They're getting married. They're getting married," the Detective Boys said, jumping up and down with excitement.

"Really?" the Master asked. "When's the ceremony?"

"Master, you've got it all wrong," Tooru said. "I can explain."

"He's right," Azusa said. "We were just soaked yesterday, so he stayed and had dinner at my house."

"Well, that sounds rather romantic."

They looked back to the door.

Subaru Okiya was standing before him, his right hand against the doorknob.

"What are you doing here, Okiya-san?" Tooru asked, stammering slightly.

"I came to collect the children," Subaru said. "But I couldn't help but hear that you're getting married. Congratulations."

"You've got it all wrong!" Tooru and Azusa exclaimed.

It didn't end there, sadly.

After Tooru's shift that day, he got into his car to find Vermouth sitting in his passenger seat, her elbow propped up against his dashboard.

"Oh," he sighed. "Hello, Vermouth."

As he sat down in his seat, a grin formed on Vermouth's face.

"So, I hear you're getting married," she said.

"For the final time, it's a mistake!" Tooru said, his face beet red. "Those kids just jumped to conclusions!"

"So you don't like that cafe girl you work with?"

"I'm stopping this conversation. Now."

"But I want to hear. It sounds interesting."

"No."

* * *

Meanwhile...

Conan held his phone in his hand, his fingers going through the photos inside. When he reached his most recent one, he grinned. "I should actually thank those kids," he thought. "This was a priceless piece of blackmail."

In his hand was a picture of Azusa kissing Tooru, both their faces slightly red from the sudden act of affection.

A chuckle escaped him as he turned his phone off.

This was going to be very...**very**...fun.

* * *

_One Truth Prevails!_

_Case Closed!_

* * *

**D.T.B: Well, that's the end. Thank you so much for sticking with me this whole time. I hope you enjoyed reading as much as I enjoyed writing. And thanks for inspiring me to keep writing Case Closed. Now I've got more crazy ideas in my head. So look forward to more Bourbon chaos in the future. :) **


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